Coaches Select Moore and Hurst to All-SEC First Team

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — University of South Carolina linebacker Skai Moore and tight end Hayden Hurst were honored as First-Team All-Southeastern Conference selections by the league’s head coaches, the conference office announced Tuesday.

The All-SEC nod is the second in as many days for both Gamecocks. Hurst was a First-Team All-SEC selection on Monday’s Associated Press Team, while Moore grabbed a spot on the Second Team.

Moore paced Carolina with 88 tackles, 48 of which came against SEC opponents in 2017. He chalked up 10 tackles in Carolina’s matchup with Georgia, a season high against SEC opponents, and his nine stops against Tennessee led Carolina to a road victory.

Heading into his final collegiate game, the Cooper City, Florida, product ranks seventh in Carolina history with 348 total tackles and second in school history with 210 solo stops. He’s also the owner of 14 career interceptions, tied for the program’s all-time lead.

Hurst leads all conference tight ends with 41 catches for 518 yards, with 31 of his receptions and 443 of his yards coming against league opponents. The junior set a career high with 93 receiving yards against Georgia, and he added a team-best 76 yards in the victory over Arkansas. Hurst averaged 55.4 receiving yards per game in SEC play, ranking 10th in the league across all positions, and all three of his touchdowns came in conference matchups.

A Jacksonville, Florida, native, Hurst enters the postseason with 97 receptions for 1,240 in his Gamecock career, both school records at the tight end position.

Hurst and Moore lead the Gamecocks (8-4) against Michigan (8-4) on Monday, Jan. 1, in the Outback Bowl. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. ET in Tampa, Fla., and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN2.